Updated · Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson · Aug 7
Supreme Court Voids Louisiana Majority-Black District in 6-3 Ruling
Updated
Updated · Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson · Aug 7
Supreme Court Voids Louisiana Majority-Black District in 6-3 Ruling
1 articles · Updated · Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson · Aug 7
Summary
A 6-3 Supreme Court majority held Louisiana’s majority-minority congressional district unconstitutional, calling it a racial gerrymander under the Fifteenth Amendment.
The ruling rejects a longstanding reading of voting-rights law that allowed states to draw majority-Black districts to preserve Black representation in government.
The decision follows earlier limits on the Voting Rights Act, including the 2013 Shelby County ruling that ended federal preclearance for states with histories of discrimination.
Recent data cited in the report showed racial voting gaps widening: a Brennan Center study found the gap growing nearly twice as fast in formerly preclearance-covered areas, while Alabama’s 2024 Black-white turnout gap hit its highest level since at least 2008.